Trolley-guard for electric railways.



No. 774,524. PATBNTED NOV. 8, 1904.

J. KRESS. I TROLLEY GUARD FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.16, 1904.

NO MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

' va) 351 1 C (To: us 11/ Z No. 774,524. PATENTED NOV. 8, 1904.

J. KRESS.

TBOLLEY GUARD FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS. APPLICATION rum) MAR. 16, 1904.

NO MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATENTED NOV. 8, 1904.

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J. KRESS. TROLLEY GUARD FOPv ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION TILED MAR.16, 1904.

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UNTTED STATES Patented November 8, 1904:.

PATENT @FFICE.

TRO LLEY-GUARD FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 774,524, dated November 8, 1904.

Application filed March 16, 1904:.

T0 aZZ whom it may] concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN KREss, a citizen of the United States,residing in New Rochelle, county of lVestch'ester, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trolley-Guards for Electric Railways, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in trolley-guards for electric railways by means of which the so-called jumping of the trolley-wheel from the trolley-wire at curves, switches, frogs, and clamping-ears is eflectively prevented.

The invention has for its object to maintain the trolley-guard proper supported by the trolley-pole approximately at right angles to the trolley-wire, so that the cross-arms of the jaws of the guard inclosing the wire and the shaft of the wheel are always in a line vertical to the wire. Hitherto when encountering a frog or other obstruction on the trolleywire the guard was moved out of its vertical position, and so the guard-jaws and crossarms closed, without, however, surrounding the trolley-wire, thus necessitating readjustment of the guard and replacement of the wheel.

The invention has, further, for its object to provide means whereby the trolley-guard may be maintained in proper position in respect to the wire independent of the curvature of the same and independent of the position of the car in relation to the wire.

For this purpose the invention consists of certain details of construction and combination of parts, which will be more fully described hereinafter and finally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a trolley-car provided with my improved means for maintaining the trolley-wheel in proper contact with the trolley-wire. Fig. 2 shows a side elevation of the upper part of my improved Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of Fig. 2, showing in detail my improved means. Fig. is a side elevation of the lower part of a trolley-pole, showing my improved Serial No. 198,334. (No model.)

means as movable on the turn-table plate of a trolley-car. Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal section of Fig. 4:. Fig. 6 is a front view of a trolley-guard proper, showing the connection of my improved means with the same. Fig. 7 is a vertical transverse section of the trolley-guard proper, showing the details of construction of the same, and Fig. 8 is a top view of the trolley-guard proper.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a trolley-car provided with a plate B, having a central vertical shaft C, on whichis pivotally supported a turn-table D, supporting a rod E, enveloped bya spiral spring F. The turntable D also pivotally supports a trolley-pole G, which is connected by rods H with a nut or perforated plate 1, bearing on the end of the spring F. The spring F acting on the rods H causes the trolley-wheel to be moved in upward direction, so as to press the trolley-wheel T against the trolley-wire K. The trolley-pole G is provided with a ball L, engaging a socket M, to which a fork-shaped part N is attached, which supports the axle O-of the trolle'ywheel T. The ball-and- -socket connection permits the movement of the trolley wheel in any direction in relation to the wire, so that when the cars pass around curves the wheel is always maintained in good contact with the wire, which is not possible when the keeper is integrally connected with the pole. In systems of electric traction without ropes this advantage becomes of great value, inasmuch as there two vehicles, both using the same trolley-wire, pass each other, in which operation one vehicle remains stationary and removes its trolley-wheel from the wire, while the other vehicle moves somewhat out of the line of the trolley-wire and passes the stationary vehicle, during which its wheel retains contact with the wire. For an-efficient contact of the trolley-wheel with the trolleywire it is necessary that the axis of the wheel is at or approximately at right-angles to the line of the trolley-wire. This is attained by my improved ball-and-socket joint.

To prevent the trolley-wheel from being displaced on curved roads or when encountering frogs or other obstructions, it is incased by a trolley-guard, which consists of two guardplates P, that are attached to a transverse bar P. The guard-plates P are made of segmental or semicircular shape at their upper ends P and extend in proximity to the rim of the grooved trolley-wheel T, as shown most clearly in Figs. 7 and 8. The guard-plates P are also rounded off or beveled at their upper ends and provided at their middle portions with segmental openings 6, through which rounded-off or beveled cross-arms of guard jaws Q project and extend, when in their closed position, over the wire K, so as to inclose the same and retain the \vheel in contact with the wire. The guard-jaws Q are supported by and pivoted to the shaft 0 of the trolley-wheel and moved in keepers 1;, attached to the lower ends of the guard-plates P by screws 9. Shanks it of the guard-jaws Q; extend below the keepers c and are connected at their lower ends with pivot-links R, pivotally connected at their free ends by a pin 1 and U- shaped supporting-link r, to which the trolley-rope 9' is attached. Springs g are suitably connected at their lower ends with the keepers e and press with their upper ends on the guard-jaws Q, so as to keep the same normally in closed position. The opening of the guard jaws is accomplished by pulling the rope. The transverse barP is provided with an opening (Z, through which the shaft (Z of a U-shaped part S passes, which shaft d is provided with a nut (Z at its upper end, so as to retain the U-shaped part S in position. The U-shaped part S is also provided with a transverse pin d", which supports the upper end of a brace-rod V. "he brace rod V passes through an opening 0 of the trolley-pole (1, enters the hollow part of the same, and passes out of an opening 4/ in the lower part of the pole and extends downwardly to the turn-table D, to which it is suitably connected by a bolt D. The brace-rod V is retained by a guide-bracket or clamp V and provided with abulgcd part V at its lower end. It has been found that when trolley-cars move with considerable speed the inwardly-projecting cross-arms Q encountering the wire, clamping-ears, frogs, and other obstructions along the trolley-wire, are thrown apart and the guard moved out of its vertical position in relation to the wire. When the guard-jaws are opened, the contact of the trolley-wheel with the wire is easily interrupted. The springs g immediately close the guard-jaws and crossarms in on themselves, and so prevent the trolley-wheel from again coming in contact with the trolley-wire. To replace the wheel on the wire, the jaws must be opened by pulling on the rope. To prevent the trolley-guard from being thrown out of its vertical position and for maintaining it in position approximately at right angles to the trolley-wire, the

brace-rod V is provided, which serves to maintain the trolley-guard in vertical position and insures good contact with the wire. \Vhen it is desired to remove the trolley-wheel from the trolley-wire, the rope r is pulled, whereby the guard-jaws Q are moved apart, so as to permit the trolley-guard to be lowered and the pole swung around on its turn-table. For turning curves along the line the pivotal balland-socket connection of the trolley-guard and trolley-pole and the pivotal connection of the trolley-guard and brace-rod permit the trolleyguard to be always maintained in proper position so as to maintain good contact with the wire independent of the curvature of the same and independent of the position of the car in relation to thewire.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A trolleyguard for electric railways, comprising a turn-table, a trolley-pole supported thereby hollow at its central portion and provided with openings in communication with said hollow portion, a trolley-wheel supported by said trolley-pole, a trolley-guard proper for said wheel adapted to inclose the trolley-wire when the wheel contacts therewith, and a rod pivotally connected with the trolley-guard passing through the openings and hollow trolley-pole and connected with the turn-table, substantially as set forth.

2. A trolleyguard for electric railways, comprising a turn-table, a trolley-pole supported thereby, a fork, aball-and-socket connection between the fork and the pole, a trolleywheel supported by said fork, a trolley-guard proper for said wheel, and means pivotally connecting the trolley-guard with the turntable for maintaining the trolley-guard in vertical position relatively to the trolley-wire, substantially as set forth.

3. A trolleyguard for electric railways, comprising a turn-table, a trolley-wheel, a shaft for the same supported by said pole, spring-actuated guard-jaws pivotally supported by said trolley-wheel shaft, cross-arms integral with the jaws inclosing the trolley-wire when the wheel contacts therewith, shanks for said guard-jaws, pivot-links connected with said shanks and with each other, a rope connected with the pivot-links for opening the guard-jaws, and means maintaining said crossarms vertically above the shaft of the trolleywheel, substantially as set forth.

L. The combination with a trolley-pole, a trolleywheel, a shaft for the same supported by the pole, and a trolley-guard proper, comprising guard-plates at either side of the wheel of segmental shape and extending inwardly in proximity to the wheel, guard-jaws provided with cross-arms passing through openings of the guard-plates and extending when in closed position over the trolley wheel, keepers connected with said guard-plates, springs connected with said keepers and pressing' on said guard-jaws, shanks for said guard- In testimony thatI claim the foregoing as my ]LWS, p1vot-l1nks connected wlth said shanks invention I have signed my name in presence and with each other, and a rope connected of two subscribing Witnesses.

with the pivot-links5 of means for maintain- JOHN KRESS. 5 ing the cross-arms of the guard vertically Witnesses:

' above the shaft of the trolley-Wheel, substan- PAUL GoEPEL, tially as set forth. 1 C. P. GroEPEL. 

